Kuwait's govt steps down after parliamentary polls

The emir of Kuwait has accepted the resignation of the Kuwaiti government in the aftermath of Saturday's parliamentary polls, but has requested that the Prime Minister and his cabinet stay in office in a caretaker role.

Kuwait's government resigned on Sunday after the parliamentary polls,[2] with the emir requesting the cabinet to stay on in a caretaker role.

In line with the Kuwaiti constitution, one day after the elections Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, ruler of the oil-rich Gulf state, accepted the government's resignation but formally requested that the Prime Minister, Sheikh Jaber Mubarak Al-Sabah, and his ministers stay in the government until a new cabinet is formed, AFP reported.

It is likely that after parliamentary consultations are held, the emir may enlist the outgoing premier or another senior member of the ruling family to implement the creation of a new Kuwaiti cabinet, according to AFP.

The government's last move whilst in power was to call for the parliament to hold its inaugural meeting on August 6, according to the cabinet's website.

The soon-to-be formed cabinet will be Kuwait's 13th in seven years and must be formed before the parliament's first session, in line with the constitution.